A TORY candidate has been ordered to remove an election sign from a farmer’s land “bought” by the Welsh Assembly government – but not yet paid for.

Farmer Elfed Jones, a staunch Conservative supporter, decided to give the Tories permission to put the sign up on what was, and in his view still is, his land.

Mr Jones, 69, said: “I had given the Conservatives permission to put the sign up. It’s my land. When somebody buys something you have to pay.”

He claims the land is “worth a few thousand pounds” and he’s still waiting for payment 12 months after the sale.

The sign had been erected in the hotly-contested Clwyd West seat, on land at Plas yn Rhal, Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd, owned by Mr Jones on the outskirts of Ruthin.

Yesterday, the sign measuring 4ft by 4ft, had disappeared.

On Wednesday, candidate Darren Millar was surprised to receive a call on his mobile phone from Denbighshire Council asking him to remove it because it was on land compulsorily purchased by the Assembly for a flood drainage scheme to be carried out.

Mr Millar said: “It’s a site we have used many times before and never had any problems whatsoever on the understanding that it is still in the ownership of our friend, Elfed Jones.

“We have been forced to move it.”

The Tories said they were told by Denbighshire to move it or they would be billed for its removal.

Mr Jones duly moved it a few feet away on the same land but yesterday it had mysteriously disappeared.

A Denbighshire Council spokesman denied that they had taken it away.

He said: “The decision to remove the sign in this case was made by the Trunk Road Agency and the Welsh Assembly government.

“Denbighshire acted as agents in this case, informing Mr Millar of his responsibility to remove the sign through a courtesy call.”